The Ultimate Goal of Work is Life

 

(Tran, 2023)

The gift of balance in your life - may you find the balance of life, time for work but also time for play. Too much of one thing ends up creating stress that no one needs in their life - Catherine Pulsifer (Herrity, 2023)

A human resource management (HRM) concept known as "The Ultimate Goal of Work is Life" highlights the notion that work should not only be a means to a goal but rather an essential element in reaching a happy and balanced existence. 

According to this viewpoint, since workers devote a large amount of their time and energy to their jobs, their experiences there should enhance their general well-being and personal growth. 

In actuality, HRM programs that are informed by this theory give top priority to establishing workplaces that encourage worker engagement, happiness, and overall development. Important facets of this strategy consist of: 

Work-Life Balance:

Taking into account the many demands and obligations that employees have outside of the workplace. This can entail providing flexible work schedules, parental leave policies, and telecommuting choices, among other flexible work arrangements. Over the past few years, the concept and meaning of work-life balance have changed. At first, work-life balance was thought to be a means of allocating the same amount of time and effort to one's personal and professional lives. Nevertheless, it has become clear over time that maintaining a healthy balance between work and home life requires a holistic strategy in addition to time management. 

On the other hand, poor work-life balance can negatively impact productivity, retention, and job satisfaction. Two of the primary determinants of work-life balance, according to earlier study, were determined to be schedule flexibility and number of working hours. Research indicates that extended working hours may put workers' safety at risk, increase stress levels, and harm their personal health since employees are often dissatisfied with the amount of time they spend at work and the negative effects it has on their personal lives (User, 2012).

On the other hand, harmony is what defines balance and is the quality that results in a well-organized and attractive whole. The arrangement of the parts is harmonious and visually stunning. A busy manager who leaves his son off at school, goes to work, stays late at work, communicates with his family, and spends a quality time on Sunday with them may act as an example.

Improve employee engagement while ensuring work-life balance.

Establish a culture of support

A culture that supports employees and makes them feel valued and respected is the first step towards achieving a healthy work-life balance. HR professionals should promote open communication and offer assistance and tools to staff members who are finding it difficult to juggle work and personal obligations. Employee engagement must be given top priority by HR experts through frequent feedback, opportunities for advancement, and appreciation.

Ensure effective performance management.

Performance management includes defining expectations, evaluating progress, and getting employee feedback. HR professionals are responsible for implementing a successful performance management system that supports employee growth and aligns with the organization's goals.

Invest in education and growth.

Employee performance can be enhanced, job satisfaction can rise, and new skills can be acquired with the support of learning and development investments. HR specialists need to give staff members the chance to grow professionally through coaching, mentoring, and training initiatives.

Encourage taking time off.

Because work-life balance is crucial, it is critical to encourage employees to take time off to recover and spend quality time with family and friends. HR professionals should make sure that workers use their vacation time as scheduled and support them in taking time off for mental health issues as needed.

Findings

The importance of these benefits to employees has been a major factor in the evolution of work-life balance. Workers now place such a high value on flexibility and balance that many are basing job decisions on these ideals. It has played a significant role in the Great Resignation, which saw approximately 48 million people quit their jobs in 2021 and more than 50 million in the US alone. According to data from Microsoft's 2022 Work Trend Index Annual Report, over half of Millennial and Gen Z workers who departed gave their reasons as a lack of flexibility or a lack of work-life balance (Morgan, 2023).

Conclusion

To sum up, work-life balance is an important and unquestionable idea. Companies need to respect each employee's right to a work-life balance and offer them equal support.

Reference list

Herrity, J. (2023). 55 Inspirational Work-Life Balance Quotes for Motivation. [online] Indeed. Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/work-life-balance-quotes.

Morgan, K. (2023). What does work-life balance mean in a changed work world? [online] BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230227-what-does-work-life-balance-mean-in-a-changed-work-world.

Tran, A. (2023). Work Life Balance Is Important | 5 Tips to Improve in 2023 - AhaSlides. [online] AhaSlides. Available at: https://ahaslides.com/blog/work-life-balance-is-important/.

User, S. (2012). Work-Life Balance. [online] Hrsrilanka. Available at: https://www.hrsrilanka.lk/k2-items/item/69-work-life-balance [Accessed 5 Apr. 2024].